Never give up and always keep going

As a young man, I experienced bullying. It changed my life then and affected my growth and development into adulthood.

I've also experienced adult bullies as recently as 2010. When I raised my concern that colleagues were being bullied in a recent university faculty meeting, I was told by my department chair, "Oh, that's just Joe being Joe."

Joe was a 68-year-old, tenured full professor at a major Lower 48 university. The same department chair also told me to "stop taking Joe so seriously, you're too sensitive." Joe had just unnecessarily verbally and emotionally stomped on the efforts of two young assistant professors using his power, publications and influence.

Figuratively, Joe was my bully, Paul C., from 1968. In 2010, I was embraced as an advocate by my junior colleagues who experienced Joe's bullying, but ostracized by some of the powerful senior faculty for challenging the good-ol'-boy full professor. The feeling of rejection and associated fear of the select, senior professorial "gang" felt as familiar in 2010 as it had in 1968 when I was scared to death to leave the house and randomly encounter bully Paul C. and his buddies. The common denominator, as recognized in the cultural vernacular, for accepting Joe and Paul C.'s abusive behavior supported by their select gangs was "boys will be boys."

I will share my stories about being bullied and propose solutions in future columns. For now, I'm reminded of one affective element and mantra that changed my life in my ongoing recovery from bullying at age 57, which was recently expressed by a student who lost her physical education teacher to cancer.

Liz Hooe, a physical educator in Anchorage, passed away recently. Liz "snuck-up" on her students using organized play to encourage good health and citizenship. Her online guestbook included the note below. I hope I'm remembered as this young child remembers Liz:

"Mrs. Hooe was my PE teacher and she was a really good woman and I am sorry for your loss. She taught me all I know about jumping rope, shooting hoops and how important it was to play every day and stay healthy. Most important, she taught me never to give up and always keep going. She was not just my teacher. She was my friend. Your family will be in my heart and prayers."

I'm amazed at how many education "experts" miss the integral connection and synergistic relationship of brain (mind), physiology (body), spirit (core values of respect, compassion, etc.) and community (interdependence, accountability, belonging) with healthy human growth, development and enhanced learning.

Compartmentalizing learning (e.g. considering certain subjects like math and science as for the "brain" only) is antiquated. I hope revisions of the "Every Child Left on Her Behind" Federal Education Act include health and physical education. Liz was the example of best practices, and integrated motor development milestones, taught motor skills and taught students how to play and appreciate human movement for life. As importantly, she taught students how to support and get along with each other - citizenship. Good citizens are socially responsible and look out for each other.

Excellent teachers like Liz Hooe befriend students (with healthy boundaries) and teach citizenship and life lessons to all community members (children, youth and adults and elders), including to "never give up and always keep going."

Paul Maguire is a Palmer resident and former professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He is the facilitator of the Center for Creating Peaceful Neighborhoods, and advocates for eliminating bullying and fully including all people in community.